Getty Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers looks to pass during a game against the New England Patriots at Lambeau Field on October 02, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Patriots 27-24 in overtime. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The NFL trade deadline is approaching and at least one franchise already looks like a seller of whom the Green Bay Packers could potentially take advantage.
The Carolina Panthers (1-4) find themselves in a five-way tie for the league’s worst record with nearly one-third of the season now gone. Also gone in Carolina, along with any legitimate hope of a playoff run, is head coach Matt Rhule who the team fired Monday. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is expected to miss multiple games with a foot injury and the year now appears lost for the Panthers.
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports on Monday tweeted that a fire sale could soon follow in Carolina, as the team transitions into rebuild mode.
“Teams will now be calling the Panthers trying to trade for some of their players as they hope Carolina will look to stockpile picks as they rebuild,” Glazer wrote.
One such player is wide receiver Robbie Anderson. The wideout leads the Panthers in receiving yards (206) and yards per reception (15.8) and could offer quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense another downfield option in the passing game.
Robbie Anderson Offers Packers Flexibility in More Ways Than One
GettyWR Robbie Anderson of the Carolina Panthers attempts to break a tackle by LB Foyesade Oluokun of the Atlanta Falcons during a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 11, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Bleacher Report on Thursday, October 13, listed Anderson as the ninth most likely player in the NFL to find himself on the trade block this week following the events in Carolina.
“Carolina Panthers wide receiver [Robbie] Anderson is another new addition to our list,” Kristopher Know wrote. “With Panthers owner David Tepper finally pulling the plug on head coach Matt Rhule this week, a full-on rebuild could be coming to Carolina.”
The Packers could probably get a deal done with a late-round pick, particularly because taking Anderson off of the Panthers’ hands offers Carolina significant cap relief for 2023 — likely a season in which they’ll do little winning even if they don’t actively attempt to tank.
Anderson signed a two-year deal worth $29.5 million prior that keeps him with the Panthers through next season. However, his cap hit next year is nearly $22 million based on the structure of the contract. There is a built-in out following this season, though it carries with it a dead cap hit of $9.7 million.
Picking up Anderson’s contract makes financial sense if Green Bay believes he could put their young, but developing, wide receiver room over the top for a deep run this season and/or if the Packers are interested in negotiating an extension with Anderson to keep him around for multiple seasons.
Anderson Brings More Production Than Any Current Packers’ WRs
GettyWide receiver Allen Lazard of the Green Bay Packers celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 9, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan.
While Anderson’s name may not be the most exciting in the league at the position, upgrades at premium positions are tough to come by mid-season. And if the Packers aren’t interested in rolling the dice on a free agent signing of Odell Beckham Jr. coming off of an ACL tear, Anderson may be the best they can do with limited options.
The 29-year-old Panthers receiver has amassed nearly 5,000 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns over the course of his seven-year professional career, per Pro Football Reference. Playing only for the New York Jets and in Carolina, Anderson has spent most of that time catching passes from inferior starting quarterbacks like Sam Darnold.
Despite bad teams, fired head coaches and a parade of subpar quarterbacks, Anderson has still managed to produce more receiving yards in each of his full NFL campaigns than Packers’ No. 1 option Allen Lazard produced during his career year last season, when he accumulated 513.
Randall Cobb put up better numbers than Anderson’s best season a couple of times throughout the course of his career, though it has been years since the veteran has amassed those kinds of statistics.
Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson have both shown flashes this season, the former considerably more than the latter, but they’re also rookies entering the league as Rodgers plays out the back end of his career.
Anderson isn’t Beckham Jr., he isn’t even a young Cobb at the peak of his game, but he might be enough to tip the scales for Green Bay in a big game here or there. That, in turn, could be enough reason for the Packers to take a flyer on an experienced receiver as they jockey for position in a top-heavy NFC.